Does anyone else think about this?

[fastortoise]

Elitism is a cruelty that we inflict not just upon the current generation, but those that follow.

 

By refusing to provide education, by believing that there is a fundamental difference between those who have a number in a bank account somewhere, and those who don't, we are dooming the past to repeat, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots to continue increasing.

I know that was probably a quote or something but I couldn't agree with you more. I hate elitism because it's making my life really easy and fun but at the same time I despise myself for reaping in all the benefits of being part of them. In acadamia, atleast (and the good looking persons club). Then I look at my friends who are just as smart as me but were born in a different part of town, with poorer parents, and they're stuck with [cabbage]ty lives and my heart sinks.

 

I think you're on the right path for the future though. Any teenager with even a little bit of foresight will realize that working hard will lead to more open doors in the future, yet so many fail to realize this. You're also setting yourself to get beaten up by those same kids for acting like you're higher than them, so avoid letting anyone know your exam grades or any of your accomplishments. It's worked for me :thumbup:

[The_Gabe]

Elitism is a cruelty that we inflict not just upon the current generation, but those that follow.

 

By refusing to provide education, by believing that there is a fundamental difference between those who have a number in a bank account somewhere, and those who don't, we are dooming the past to repeat, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots to continue increasing.

I know that was probably a quote or something but I couldn't agree with you more. I hate elitism because it's making my life really easy and fun but at the same time I despise myself for reaping in all the benefits of being part of them. In acadamia, atleast (and the good looking persons club). Then I look at my friends who are just as smart as me but were born in a different part of town, with poorer parents, and they're stuck with [cabbage]ty lives and my heart sinks.

 

I think you're on the right path for the future though. Any teenager with even a little bit of foresight will realize that working hard will lead to more open doors in the future, yet so many fail to realize this. You're also setting yourself to get beaten up by those same kids for acting like you're higher than them, so avoid letting anyone know your exam grades or any of your accomplishments. It's worked for me :thumbup:

 

In reality I don't talk to them, I really only share grades with my actual friends, who tend be smart also.

 

EDIT: Fixed the sentence.. Saw I used which instead of who, and that would have been grammatically incorrect.

[Skeptical]

Elitism is a cruelty that we inflict not just upon the current generation, but those that follow.

 

By refusing to provide education, by believing that there is a fundamental difference between those who have a number in a bank account somewhere, and those who don't, we are dooming the past to repeat, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots to continue increasing.

I know that was probably a quote or something but I couldn't agree with you more. I hate elitism because it's making my life really easy and fun but at the same time I despise myself for reaping in all the benefits of being part of them. In acadamia, atleast (and the good looking persons club). Then I look at my friends who are just as smart as me but were born in a different part of town, with poorer parents, and they're stuck with [cabbage]ty lives and my heart sinks.

 

I think you're on the right path for the future though. Any teenager with even a little bit of foresight will realize that working hard will lead to more open doors in the future, yet so many fail to realize this. You're also setting yourself to get beaten up by those same kids for acting like you're higher than them, so avoid letting anyone know your exam grades or any of your accomplishments. It's worked for me :thumbup:

 

Not a quote unless it's something buried deep within my subconscious. I feel the same way: my high standard of living is assured by my parent's position near the top of the status quo pyramid. It renders any personal victory depressing, as I am forced to question whether or not it was actually something that I earned, or something that I was fortunate enough to be given.

[The_Gabe]

Elitism is a cruelty that we inflict not just upon the current generation, but those that follow.

 

By refusing to provide education, by believing that there is a fundamental difference between those who have a number in a bank account somewhere, and those who don't, we are dooming the past to repeat, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots to continue increasing.

I know that was probably a quote or something but I couldn't agree with you more. I hate elitism because it's making my life really easy and fun but at the same time I despise myself for reaping in all the benefits of being part of them. In acadamia, atleast (and the good looking persons club). Then I look at my friends who are just as smart as me but were born in a different part of town, with poorer parents, and they're stuck with [cabbage]ty lives and my heart sinks.

 

I think you're on the right path for the future though. Any teenager with even a little bit of foresight will realize that working hard will lead to more open doors in the future, yet so many fail to realize this. You're also setting yourself to get beaten up by those same kids for acting like you're higher than them, so avoid letting anyone know your exam grades or any of your accomplishments. It's worked for me :thumbup:

 

Not a quote unless it's something buried deep within my subconscious. I feel the same way: my high standard of living is assured by my parent's position near the top of the status quo pyramid. It renders any personal victory depressing, as I am forced to question whether or not it was actually something that I earned, or something that I was fortunate enough to be given.

 

You have to work to keep the status.

[Zygimantas]

Elitism is a cruelty that we inflict not just upon the current generation, but those that follow.

 

By refusing to provide education, by believing that there is a fundamental difference between those who have a number in a bank account somewhere, and those who don't, we are dooming the past to repeat, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots to continue increasing.

I know that was probably a quote or something but I couldn't agree with you more. I hate elitism because it's making my life really easy and fun but at the same time I despise myself for reaping in all the benefits of being part of them. In acadamia, atleast (and the good looking persons club). Then I look at my friends who are just as smart as me but were born in a different part of town, with poorer parents, and they're stuck with [cabbage]ty lives and my heart sinks.

 

I think you're on the right path for the future though. Any teenager with even a little bit of foresight will realize that working hard will lead to more open doors in the future, yet so many fail to realize this. You're also setting yourself to get beaten up by those same kids for acting like you're higher than them, so avoid letting anyone know your exam grades or any of your accomplishments. It's worked for me :thumbup:

 

Not a quote unless it's something buried deep within my subconscious. I feel the same way: my high standard of living is assured by my parent's position near the top of the status quo pyramid. It renders any personal victory depressing, as I am forced to question whether or not it was actually something that I earned, or something that I was fortunate enough to be given.

 

You have to work to keep the status.

I think construction workers work harder than Lindsey Lohan.

[EarthySun]

In real life, I talk very much like that. I roll with people who are, in actuality, pretty poor -- I'm not doing so hot myself, but I believe my mannerisms have overall been lowered because of my continued interaction with them. However, I don't see it as much of a big deal -- they're good friends, loyal, and they'll back you up. Plus, they're mostly pretty chill people, if only occasionally more violent than "middle-class" or "better" (pssh) kids. I'm lower-class/lower middle-class, but I'm still pretty damned smart about my decisions, though some may consider me a little rough around the edges, so to speak. :x

[decebal]

You guys are forgetting that some people have different goals from elitists. Not everyone wants a higher education, they just want to be happy, and passing exams is not their kind of "fun". Their idea of fun is hanging with their friends, and gaining street cred or something.

 

Note: I am not gangster, and I have no freakin' clue what are their goals are. Im just saying.

[Skeptical]

Elitism is a cruelty that we inflict not just upon the current generation, but those that follow.

 

By refusing to provide education, by believing that there is a fundamental difference between those who have a number in a bank account somewhere, and those who don't, we are dooming the past to repeat, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots to continue increasing.

I know that was probably a quote or something but I couldn't agree with you more. I hate elitism because it's making my life really easy and fun but at the same time I despise myself for reaping in all the benefits of being part of them. In acadamia, atleast (and the good looking persons club). Then I look at my friends who are just as smart as me but were born in a different part of town, with poorer parents, and they're stuck with [cabbage]ty lives and my heart sinks.

 

I think you're on the right path for the future though. Any teenager with even a little bit of foresight will realize that working hard will lead to more open doors in the future, yet so many fail to realize this. You're also setting yourself to get beaten up by those same kids for acting like you're higher than them, so avoid letting anyone know your exam grades or any of your accomplishments. It's worked for me :thumbup:

 

Not a quote unless it's something buried deep within my subconscious. I feel the same way: my high standard of living is assured by my parent's position near the top of the status quo pyramid. It renders any personal victory depressing, as I am forced to question whether or not it was actually something that I earned, or something that I was fortunate enough to be given.

 

You have to work to keep the status.

 

It's far easier for me to maintain my current standard of living than it is for anyone else to earn it.

 

That attitude may be why I have developed some dissident opinions about the value of a person from the perspective of society.

[Zygimantas]

You guys are forgetting that some people have different goals from elitists. Not everyone wants a higher education, they just want to be happy, and passing exams is not their kind of "fun". Their idea of fun is hanging with their friends, and gaining street cred or something.

 

Note: I am not gangster, and I have no freakin' clue what are their goals are. Im just saying.

Yep, I agree.

[stonewall337]

America is the land where anyone can start off low and end high. That is the American dream. Somepeople want America to be where everyone ENDS at the same spot, eg various forms of socializsm. If happens, there isn't much hope to go on, unless you can work around it.

 

If that happened, "who is John Galt". I'd try and stop the motor of the world.

[The_Gabe]

You guys are forgetting that some people have different goals from elitists. Not everyone wants a higher education, they just want to be happy, and passing exams is not their kind of "fun". Their idea of fun is hanging with their friends, and gaining street cred or something.

 

Note: I am not gangster, and I have no freakin' clue what are their goals are. Im just saying.

 

So your goal in life is to end up in jail or dead?

[Alg]

Those aren't the only two alternatives. It's quite possible to be happy without higher education. Intellectual fulfillment isn't nearly the only kind.

[The_Gabe]

Those aren't the only two alternatives. It's quite possible to be happy without higher education. Intellectual fulfillment isn't nearly the only kind.

 

I don't see how?

[Zygimantas]

Those aren't the only two alternatives. It's quite possible to be happy without higher education. Intellectual fulfillment isn't nearly the only kind.

 

I don't see how?

You can be happy by being a farmer. That is just one example out of the many that are out there.

[Alg]

Those aren't the only two alternatives. It's quite possible to be happy without higher education. Intellectual fulfillment isn't nearly the only kind.

 

I don't see how?

You can be happy by being a farmer. That is just one example out of the many that are out there.

I can't really put it any better than this.

 

Of course, saying this as someone who is interested in higher education for personal reasons, so make of that what you will.

[Shiny]

Interestingly enough, people of a lower socio-economic status, and people with a lower I.Q tend to be happier than those with more wealth or brainpower.

[decebal]

You guys are forgetting that some people have different goals from elitists. Not everyone wants a higher education, they just want to be happy, and passing exams is not their kind of "fun". Their idea of fun is hanging with their friends, and gaining street cred or something.

 

Note: I am not gangster, and I have no freakin' clue what are their goals are. Im just saying.

 

So your goal in life is to end up in jail or dead?

That is a negative side effect of it, but don't forget some people (and I know you might find it strange) actually like the risks involved in breaking the law.

 

And another way of being happy: drugs. Many people's lives seem to revolve around these, and it ruins their life. Do they mind it? Yes, but that will go away once they are in their happy place in this world, and that is their goal in life. They don't find happiness in a university degree, they find happiness in a syringe.

[Giordano]

You guys are forgetting that some people have different goals from elitists. Not everyone wants a higher education, they just want to be happy, and passing exams is not their kind of "fun". Their idea of fun is hanging with their friends, and gaining street cred or something.

 

Note: I am not gangster, and I have no freakin' clue what are their goals are. Im just saying.

 

So your goal in life is to end up in jail or dead?

That is a negative side effect of it, but don't forget some people (and I know you might find it strange) actually like the risks involved in breaking the law.

 

And another way of being happy: drugs. Many people's lives seem to revolve around these, and it ruins their life. Do they mind it? Yes, but that will go away once they are in their happy place in this world, and that is their goal in life. They don't find happiness in a university degree, they find happiness in a syringe.

No they don't. If they mind it ruining their life then it's not really happiness. It's a sort-term relief that grows into an addiction.

[1337_Byte]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I think of the future all the time. I'm pretty worried about the state of resources. I know that that's dealing with a wider scale, but it affects everyone.

[Zygimantas]

You guys are forgetting that some people have different goals from elitists. Not everyone wants a higher education, they just want to be happy, and passing exams is not their kind of "fun". Their idea of fun is hanging with their friends, and gaining street cred or something.

 

Note: I am not gangster, and I have no freakin' clue what are their goals are. Im just saying.

 

So your goal in life is to end up in jail or dead?

That is a negative side effect of it, but don't forget some people (and I know you might find it strange) actually like the risks involved in breaking the law.

 

And another way of being happy: drugs. Many people's lives seem to revolve around these, and it ruins their life. Do they mind it? Yes, but that will go away once they are in their happy place in this world, and that is their goal in life. They don't find happiness in a university degree, they find happiness in a syringe.

No they don't. If they mind it ruining their life then it's not really happiness. It's a sort-term relief that grows into an addiction.

Unless they are happy with their addiction and don't mind it. But thats not what his point was :P

[Dupin]

I don't think you guys really understand the lower-class teenagers who spend life swearing, smoking, and fighting. I keep hearing about goals, but that's really the key difference - their goals are either non-existent or incomrehensibly different from those of a highly-educated individual. This difference stems from the differences between their environment and ours. They were taught from an early age that they shouldn't expect to rule the world, and they would just have to enjoy life as best they can. In this way, the lower classes are actually happier. It's not because they're successful, it's because they have a different mindset.

 

An example:

The scumbags I met in community service seemed to be constantly swearing and telling stories about drugs or fighting. But when the conversation turned to school and the future, I noticed something interesting: They weren't bad kids. Most of them talked about a legitimate interest in building and working on cars, and a couple of the older ones were working on getting into some sort of appreticeship or trade school.

 

I guess that leads to a great question: Do you really have a better life? If they can live and work happily on something they love, while you struggle through essays, publications, scholarships, and deadlines, whose life is really the better one?

 

 

If that happened, "who is John Galt". I'd try and stop the motor of the world.

FFFFFFFFF- I hate that book.

 

From what I saw in your post, without knowledge of any of your other opinions, you appear to be spewing anti-socialist garbage. What makes you so sure that capitalism is right that, if subjected to a new lifestyle, you would revert to semi-terroristic attempts to destroy society?

 

And Atlas Shrugged is just awful, for more reasons than the anti-socialist one. Libertarians should be ashamed to consider it one of the most important literary works of their doctrine.

 

 

Oh, and on the topic of addiction: Most addicts deny their addiction, usually through such comedic feats of backwards logic as "I could stop if I wanted to, but I don't want to".

[i_trollz_u]

You went from "poor people are uneducated" to "black people are uneducated". Sterotyping is probably bad, regardless of the validity of the claims. The world really doesn't need anymore stigmitization. Especially considering your only argument is that "mixing uneducated people and educated is bad", I really don't see why you needed to stereotype.

 

Integrated education probably would have a negative effect on some people, but denying people the right to a better education is even worse. Sure, lots of people don't care about getting an education but that doesn't mean they're terrible people and deserve to live a horrible lifestyle, as other people mentioned their life is probably makes education a lot harder for them. Plus, them not caring about education isn't a reason integrating education is bad, its an argument for why the [cabbage] education system in many parts of the US needs to improve and make them care.

 

Denying impoverished persons education wouldn't solve anything - it would probably just blind people like you from what needs to change in the world and continue to increase the amount of people living degrading lives. And thats not a good thing. History proves that large amounts of people being upset at unjust societies tends to lead to bad consequences for the entire world, rich or poor.

 

 

I think that we (intellectuals) should rise up and take what's ours. This world belongs to us, the intellectual elite, and the underlings only exist for our own exploitation. The underlings should be subjected to heavy labour while we sit within our parliamentary buildings, our congresses, &c, and rule the world.

 

Men such as Rousseau were fools. There are no such things as "unalienable" rights. It is just as valid to argue that the elite have the right to enslave the weak.

 

EDIT: I also agree with your position about black people.

 

Go [bleep] yourself. You do realize that if everyone had the same mentality as you, the world would be a really sad place right now right? Well either that or the majority of the world who would be your slaves would probably do something really, really violent. There's a reason the world has become a nicer place. It wasn't because people just magically got nicer. It was because we learned that enslaving people or saying weak people like jews should die probably doesn't work out well in the end for anyone.

 

One thing: I didn't go from uneducated people to black people, I simply tried to relate the argument to both sides if you can understand what I mean. But Andvan isn't completely wrong; the most motivated people do excel in the end. You need to be motivated to reach high offices, make a serious career and make a name for your self. People who don't generally tend to work under those people.

 

Also I'm Jewish and I've no idea what you mean by " It was because we learned that enslaving people or saying weak people like jews should die probably doesn't work out well in the end for anyone."

 

You say "damn, people who talk like that are really uneducated" and then immediately go "even educated black people don't talk like that", singling blacks and implying them as being typicaly less educated. The rest of your post that talks specifically about blacks are not educated with your martin luther king example says that even more.

 

The example with the holocaust and slavery is that history shows that elitism has always had violent consequeces. People trying to justify oppressing others, whether the justification is racism, nationalism, or religious differences always ends up in violence or worse. Hitler said jews (and a lot of other people) were inferior and should be removed from the rest of society because germans are better. Look what happened there. Americans enslaved blacks because they thought they were less than human (3/5 human to be exact). Civil war wrecked the entire nation. Intelectual elitism and saying "dumb people should be our slaves" probaly isn't better than any other form of elitism.

[Zygimantas]

I guess that leads to a great question: Do you really have a better life? If they can live and work happily on something they love, while you struggle through essays, publications, scholarships, and deadlines, whose life is really the better one?

 

We need to get our basic needs to survive. But other then that there is so many different ways to live life, the only problem is when society tends to put up walls. My parents usually tell me that I should get good grades so I could get into a good school and get a good job and be happy with my life. But is that really the only option that will make me happy? Will it even make me that happy at all?

[The_Gabe]

I guess that leads to a great question: Do you really have a better life? If they can live and work happily on something they love, while you struggle through essays, publications, scholarships, and deadlines, whose life is really the better one?

 

We need to get our basic needs to survive. But other then that there is so many different ways to live life, the only problem is when society tends to put up walls. My parents usually tell me that I should get good grades so I could get into a good school and get a good job and be happy with my life. But is that really the only option that will make me happy? Will it even make me that happy at all?

 

If you play your cards right it should.

[Giordano]

It'll give you money.

 

And money indirectly buys you happiness.